Typewriting-machine



F. H. ARMSTRONG. TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F. H. ARMSTRONG.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 3. 1918.

1,387,959. Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F. H. ARMSTRONG.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPucATloN FILED ocT.3.19|s.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

5 SHEETSSHEET 3- 5mn/Coz -W @Mot/neufs,

F. H. ARMSTRONG.

TYPEWRHING MACHINE.

APPLICATIQN FILED OCT. 3,19l8.

1,387,959, Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

S14/WMM F. H. ARMSTRONG.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. a. 191s.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

314 oem/coz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK HURBERT ARMSTRONG, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CORONA TYPEWRITER COMPANY, INC., OF GRO'ION, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

TYPEWRIT-ING-MACHINE.

Application filed October 3, 1918. Serial No. 256,675.

To all whom t may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK H. ARMSTRONG, a citizen of the United States of America, anda resident of Auburn, county of Cayuga, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting-Machines, of which the following is a full and clear specilication.

This invention has relation to that class of case-shifts in which the case positions are obtained by shifting the type bar hanger or segment up and down, and the object of this invention is to improve and simplify this type of mechanism, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of so much of a typewriting machine as is necessary to illustrate my invention, the near wall of the frame being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the segment-carrier in its usual, c'. e., upper, position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the segment-carrier in its middle position;

F ig. et is a similar view showing the segment-carrier inl its lowest position;

F ig. 5 is a front elevation of the segmentcarrier, the side members of the machineframe being shown in vertical section;

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are detail views hereinafter fully described;

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are views of a modification.

Referring to these drawings by referencecharacters, 10 designates the segment-carrying-plate which is arranged adjacent to the rear wall of the frame and is adapted to carry the usual segment 11. This segmentcarrying-plate is arranged to vertically slide on a pair of rods 12, one being arranged in each rear corner of the frame and each having its lower end rigidly connected to a torwardly-extending ear or iiange 13 on the rear wall of the frame and its upper end rigidly affixed to a forwardly-extending ear 14 integrally formed on the upper edge of the rear wall of the trame. The connection between each of these rods 12 and the segment-carrying-plate is by means of a pair of ears 15 formed integrally with the car-4 rier-plate and projecting laterally therefrom, one at the upper edge of the plate and the other at the lower edge thereof,

each pair of these lugs being formed integrally with a forwardly-projecting flange 16 formed on the adjacent end oi' the segment-plate 10. The lugs 15 are provided with holes through which the rods 12 eX- tend, the holes at one side of the machine being of a size to nicely fit the rod, but at the other side being elongated transversely of the machine to permit a slight play between the segment-carrier and the rod at that side of the machine, to thereby prevent binding of the segment-carrier on the rods incase the parts become slightly bent or twisted.

The segment-carrier is adapted to be pulled down to either its mid-position or its lower position by means of a pair of arms 17 whose forward ends are rigidly aflixed to a rock-shaft 18 (journaled in the side walls oi' the frame and extending across the machine) and whose rear ends are pivotally Patented Aug. 1c, i921.y

and slidingly connected to the segmentplate by means of an open-ended slot formed in the rear end of each arm and engaging a headed-pin 19 aiiixed to the outereface of the adjacent one of the flanges 16. These arms 17, as will be observed, are arranged one at each side of the machine, and each arm is provided with an outwardly-extending lug or flange 20 whose upper, working face inclines downwardly and rearwardly.

The arms 17 are pulled downwardly, to thus cause the segment to descend, by means of shift-key-levers 21 and 22, these levers being, as usual, arranged in pairs adjacent the side-walls of the iframe, each pair lying in a Vertical plane between an arm 17 and the adjacent side wall of the frame. Each pair of shift-levers is pivotally mounted on a short bearing 23 extending inwardly from the adjacent side-wall oi' the frame and each lever is provided with an upwardly and forwardly-curved arm or tappet 24C so lo-` is adjustably connected in any suitable manner to the adjacent side wall of the ma- ,v chine, this spring serving, as is Obvious, to

i7 a less distance than when the shi'tt levers 2l are depressed.) so that the shift lever 22 may be used tor pulling the segment down toits mid-position while the companion lover 2l will be used tor pulling` the segment down to its third or lower position.. Y Each of the shift levers is held in normal position by means ot a suitable spring;l and any suitable lock devices may be employed to loot: either or' the shift keys in its lower position to thus hold the segment in either ot vits two lower case positions. As a loch device, I pre'ler employing a swingingl ver 27 pivotally mounted on the side wall oitl the traine nd provided with a lateral lug' 23 at its lower end which is adapted, when said lug 23 is swung,` forwardly, to engage a torwardly extending lug;- 29 on the shi'lt lever, the engaging faces et these parts 23 and 29 being` rounded or inclined with reference to each other so as to bring' about a camlike or wr-dpting action between these parts.

ln its upper case position, the segmentcarrier abuts 'against a pair oit depending screw-stops 30 rarried by the lugs l-l, and in its lower case-position it abuts against a pair ot stop-screws 3l tapped up through the lugs 13 on the base of the traine, these two stop-screws being each provided with suitable loclenut to insure its being` retained in its adjusted position. The segment-carrier is positivelylocked in its normal elevated position by means ot a pair of upstanding arms 32 whose lower ends are lined to a roch shaft 33 suitably journaled in the side walls of the trarne and extending` entirely across the trame, one ot these arnis 32 being arranged at each side of the machine, in position to be swung` rearwardly to bringr its upper end under the top lug l5 oi" the segmentbarrier, said upper end being slightly inclined downwardly and rearwardly so that when it is swung` rearwardly underneath said lug l5 it will cause a wedging or cam-like action and thus positively loch the segment against the screw-stops 30. Each ot' the lock-arms 32 is provided on its front edge with an inwardiy-extending lug- 3d, each o these lugs lying in the path oi upstanding cam portions or lugs 35 at the rear ends of the arms 36 otl the two adjacent shit't le vers, said arms 36 extending` upward and rearward trom the tulcrum of the levers and the cam ends 35 thereof being so located as to ride upward behind lug so that whe either of the shift levers is depressed the cam lug 35 carried thereby will imping-e against lug 34 and thus swing the lock-arms libanesa 32 forwardly far enough to disengage their upper ends from top lugs l5, thereby freeing the segment-carrier.

rlhe front upper corners ot the lugs 35 are beveled ofl1 to present downwardly-and-forwardly-inclined cam surfaces 37 tor :impingeinent against lug 34. lllhe lug 35, which is a 4companion to the shorter arm or tappet 2d (being` carried by the shift-lever 22) has a shorter beveled surface than lug carried by shift lever 2l, so that when shift lever 22 is operated, the lock-arms 32 will be thrown 'forwardly a less distance than when he companion shift-lever 21 is operator. When the loclearms are thus shifted forwardly by means oi he shorter beveled surface 37, these arms will be in position to bring lateral-stop-lugs 33 into vertical alinement with stop-screws 39 carried by the top lugs l5 ot the segment-carrier tothus arrest the segment in its intermediate or cap7 shilt position. Vf hen the segment is thus arrested, the stop-screws Y 39 will strike squarely on the upper tacos or' the stop-lugs 38 and these lugs will be located approximately in vertical alinement with the rockshatt which supports these lock-arms, so that the impact of the segment will be eflectua-lly taken care of. l/Vhen this movement oit the parts takes place, it will be observed that the finger-lug will pass up behind the lug' 34 and thus permit the shiftlever to be depressed far enough to bring the segment-carrier downwardly until its stop-screws 39 impact solidly against the stop-lugs 33. When the other shift-lever is depressed and the longer beveled surface 37 is brought into play, the lock-arms 32 will be swung Jtar enough forwardly to permit the stop-screws 39 and their supporting ears l5 to pass down behind the stop-lugs 3S, thereby permitting the segment-carrier to be depressed to its lowermost or gure shift position in which it will be arrested by the base stop-screws 3l. The lock-arms are normally swung rearwardly into locking position by means of coil-springs e0 connestingl the extreme lower ends ot these arms 32 at points below the roclesliatt to adjacent parts ol the frame.

it will be observed that the Cain surfaces 37 insure the rockable stop-trame being` adn justed to the exact distance for the easeposition selected, and it will be observed also that when the stop-frame is adjusted to the selected position by one or the other of the cam faces 37 it will be held forward in that adjusted position by the finger 35 engaging the lower corner or behind the lug 34e. lWhen the key-lever is released and allowed to ascend to normal position, the roclrable trame is releasedy from. the linger 35 and its cam tace 37,.and spring It() throws the rockable trame backwardly until the rear edges ot its arms 32 strike against the tront edges llO position.

of the top lugs 15 on the segment-carrier, where they rest until the segment-carrier is returned to its upper, normal, position, whereupon the upper ends of the arms 32 wedge under the aforesaid lugs 15 and thus lock the segment in its upper, usual, position.

It will be observed that when a shift-key is depressed, the segment-carrier 'will be first unlocked by swinging the arms 32 forwardly; these arms continue to move forwardly until they reach the selected position, where they are arrested during the time the segment-carrier is descending to the selected It will be further observed that a feature of importance in my construction is that the segment-carrier may be shifted downwardly from its intermediate or cap shift position to itslower or figure shift position without having to first return to normal position; this is done by simply pressingdown the other shift-key and thus bringing into action the longer one of the beveled or cam faces 37, which causes the rockable arms to be swung farther forward to a position out of vertical alinement with the setscrews 39, the 'shift-lever first used being released and thus permitted to return to normal position.

In the modified formof apparatus shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12, the key-carrying arms of the shift-key levers are arranged above the arms 17, and flanges 20 are arranged to incline downwardly and forwardly so as to properly cooperate with the tappets or arms 24 which in the resent instance depend from the key-carrying arms of the keylevers. The arms 36 of the key levers are curved forwardly and downwardly and their cam edges 37 are arranged to face rearwardly and rest against the front edge of the lugs 3d on the rockable stop-frame, these lugs being located in this modified form at a point much lower down on the rocking stop-frame and in front of its pivotal point 33. In operation, the segmentmoving frame (which consists mainly of arms 17 is forced downwardly in the same manner as in the previously-described structure, and the cam edges 37 bear downwardly and rearwardly against the front edge of lugs 34.- and thus swing the rockable stopframe forwardly to one position or the other according to which key-lever is used; and

when the stop-frame is moved to the selected position the lower edge of the end portion 35 of lever arm 36 slips over the top of lug 34 and thus locks the lock-frame in its adjusted position until the shift-lever is released.

The nature and scope of the invention having been thus indicated and its ,preferred embodiment having been specifically described, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a support shiftable to vary the relation between printing instrumentalities and a platen, means for slidably holding the support to move vertically, a pair of rock arms extending fore and aft of the machine having a pivotal connection at their rear ends with the support, a rock shaft forward of the support to which said rock arms are rigidly held, a pair of shift key levers pivotally supported to swing about a common Aavis at the rear of the rock shaft and provided with rock-arm depressing parts loosely engaging one rock arm at points intermediate the rock shaft and the support, the rock-arm depressing part on one lever being longer than that on the other lever and engaging the rock arm at a point closer to the rock shaft than the other arm depressing part, and a spring for normally swinging the rear ends of the rock arms upward.

2. In a typewriting machine, a shiftable segment-carrier, a pair of arms pivotally mounted at their forward ends and connected at their rear ends to said segmentcarrier, one of the arms being provided with a downwardly and rearwardly inclined face, and a. pair of shift levers provided with upwardly and forwardly extending parts of different length adapted to engage said inclined face to shift the arms different distances. Q

3. In a typewriting machine, a segmentcarrier, means for normally holding it up, means for shifting the carrier downwardly embodying a pair of pivoted arms one of which carries a lateral lug facing upwardly, and shift-key-levers carrying parts which when said levers are operated bear down on said upwardly facing lug.

4. In a typewritingmachine, the combination of a support shiftable to vary the relation between printing instrumentalities and a platen, an arm extending fore and aft of the machine and pivotally supported in the machine frame at its forward end and pivotally connected at its rear end with the support, means for guiding 'the support vertically, a spring for normally elevating the support, a laterally extending lug on said arm intermediate the ends of the arm, and a pair of shift key levers fulcrumed in the machine frame at the rear of said lug and provided with parts of different length engaging the upper side of said lug at points spaced apart-fore and aft of the machine.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a support shiftable to vary the relation between printing instrumentalities and a platen, an arm extending fore and aft of the machine and pivotally supported in the machine frame at its forward end and pivotally connected at its rear end with the support, means for guiding the support vertically, a spring for normally elevating the support, a laterally extending lug on said arm intermediate the ends of the erm, and a pair of shift key levers ulcrumed in the machine frame the rear et, said lug, said levers extending under the lug and being provided with parts eutendin upwardly and forwardly over the lug and engaging; the upper side oit the lug,` at points spaced apart tore and att oi the machine.

6. ln a typewriting machine, a movable segment-carrier, shitt-key-operated devices for shitting the segment to its diiferent casepositions, segment-stopping-and-locking devices automatically operated from said shittkeys, said stopping-and-locking devices embodying a pair of upstanding roel-:able arms, and means operable by the shift-keys 'for shitting these arms diil'erent distances, this latter means consisting of differentiallybeveled members and cooperating devices on said arms.

7. ln a typewriting machine, a shiiitable segment-carrier, a pair of arms pivotally mounted at their forward ends and having their rear ends pivotally connected to said segment-carrier, each arm beingl provided..V

with a laterally-extending member having a working tace inclined downwardly and rearwardly, a spring for normally holding these arms in their upper position, a pair of shift-levers having different-length tappets arranged to engage said inclined surtace to pull down the arm different distances, and stopping` means 'for middle case-position automatically operated by said shiftlevers.

8. Case shift mechanism for typewriting machines comprising a support shiitable to vary the relation between printing instrumentalities and a platen, a locking, and shittcontrolling' member shittably mounted independently ot the support, means tor normally moving` said member into engagement with the support to lock 'the support in its normal position, key-operated means tor shitting` the support operatively connected with saidinember to shiit the same out oit locking engagement with the support to a position :tor arresting the support at a diiterent point when said key-operated means is actuated.

9. Case shift mechanism for typewriting machines comprising` a support shiitable to vary the relation between printinginstrumentalities and a platen, a locking and shi'lit-controlling, member shiiitably mounted independently of the support, means for normally moving said member into engagement with the support to lock the support in its normal positiom a pair oi shift keys connected with the support' for shifting the same dii'lerent distances, and connections between the keys and said member for shitting the member different distances trom its locking position to determine the case-shift position to which the support is movable by each key.

l0; ln a typewriting machine, the combination of al vertically movable support tor varying the relation between printing instiunientalities and a platen, means for arresting the support at its uppermost and lowermost positions, a shiitable stop for arresting` the support in an interm-diate position, and a pair of shift hey levers connected with the support tor shittingthe same and having cam surfaces of dili'erent length tor shitting the intermediate stop, the cam surface on one lever causing movement ot the stop to operative position and the cam surface on the other lever causingmovement of the stop to an inoperative position.

il. Double case shift mechanism for typewriting machines comprisinb)- a support shittable diil'erent distances trom a normal position to vary the relation between printing` instrumentalities and a platen, means for normally moving` the support in one direction, a pair of shift keys connected with the support igor moving' the support in the opposite direction, a shittable member provided with an abutment iior lockingthe support in normal position and an abutment tor arresting the support in an intermediate position, and means whereby said member is shii'table a different distance by each key to release the support when either key is operated and render the abutment for arresting the support in intermediate position eliective when one key is operated and ineffective when the other key is operated.

1Q. Double case shift mechanism tor typewriting machines comprising a support shiftable to vary the relation between printing instrumentalities and a platen, means ier normally moving the support upwardly, a swinging member mounted independently ot' the support for lockingl the support .in its uppermost position and determining which of two lower positions the support may be shifted to, and a pair ot shift keys connected with the support and said member tor shitting the support downwardly and ,swinging said member different distances.

i3. Double case shift mechanism tor typewriting machines comprising," a support shilftable ditlerent distances in the same direction to vary the relation between printinginstrumentalities and a platen, a pair ot shi t keys connected with 'the support for sh ino the same in one direction, a swinging member mounted independently ot the support for enga-ging; and locking the support in normal position and provided with an abutment adapted to arrest the support in its intermediate position, cam means operable by one oi said keys for shitting said member out ot locking` position to a position in which said abutment will be e'l'lective to arrest the support, and cam means operable by the other key tor shitting said member out of locking position to a position f in which said abutment will be ineffective.

14. Double case shift mechanism for typewriting machines, comprising a support shiftable different distances to vary the relation between printing instrumentalities and a platen, a spring for normally moving the support in one direction, fixed means for determining the maximum limits of movement of the support, a swinging member mounted independently of the support having an abutment for locking the support in normal position and an abutment for arresting the support in its intermediate position, a spring for normally swinging said member to locking position, a pair of shift key levers having arms loosely engaging said member, and adapted to swing the same different distance from locking position, and connections between the key levers and support for shifting the support.

15. Double case shift mechanism for typewriting machines, comprising a support shiftable different distances to vary the relation between printing instrumentalities and a platen, a spring for normally moving the support in one direction, fixed means for determining the maximum limits of movement of the support, a swinging member mounted independently of the support having an abutment for locking the support in normal position and an abutment for arresting the support in its intermediate position, a spring for normally swinging said member to locking position, and a pair of shift key levers each having an arm connected with said member and an arm connected with the support and also a key-carrying arm, the arms on said levers connected with said member being adapted to swing the member different distances from locking position.

16. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a machine frame, a support shiftable vertically in the frame to change case, means for normally moving the support upwardly, fixed means on the frame coperating with the support to arrest the support in its uppermost and lowermost positions, a rockable member mounted on the frame for locking the support in its normal uppermost position, a stop on said member adapted to arrest the support in a central position, a pair of shift key levers provided with arms of different length for shifting the support downwardly different distances and arms for shifting said rocking member different distances from locking position.

17. 1n a typewriting machine, the comhination of a machine frame, a pair of vertical guide posts rigidly held in the rear part of the frame adjacent opposite sides of the frame, a plate extending transversely of the frame and provided with horizontal ears adjacent its upper and lower edges at each end thereof through which said rods extend, vertically Vspaced stationary stops on the frame adapted to be engaged by the upper and lower ears to determine the upper and lower positions of the plate, a type-bar segment held to the front face of the plate, a rock shaft journaled in the frame forward of the plate, a pair of rearwardly extending rock arms held to said shaft and pivotally connected with the plate, a pair of upstanding rocking members mounted in the frame.

at opposite sides thereof to swing in unison fore and aft ofthe machine and each provided With a pair of stepped ahutments adapted to cooperate with one of the upper ears on the plate to respectively lock the plate in its upper position and arrest the plate in its central position, and a pair of shift levers at one side of the machine connected with the adjacent rock arm for lowering the plate and connected with the adj acent rocking member for releasing the plate when either lever is operated and positioning said members to arrest the plate in central position when one of the levers is operated.

18. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a frame, a support shiftable vertically in the frame to change case, a rock shaft journaled in the frame, a pair of rock arms held to said shaft at their forward ends and pivotally connected at their rear ends with the support, means for guiding the support, a spring for normally moving the support upward, a pair of key levers fulcrumed in the frame at a point in the rear of the rock shaft and having parts loosely engaging one of the rock arms different distances from the rock shaft, a member mounted in the frame to swing fore and aft of the machine and provided with an abutment adapted to engage the support to lock the support in its normal elevated position and an abutment adapted to arrest the support in an intermediate position, and a stationary stop on the frame for arresting the support in its lowest position, said key levers being provided with parts for swinging said member different distances from locking position.

19. Double case shift mechanism for typewriting machines comprising a support shiftable to change case, means for guiding the support to move up and down, stationary means cooperating with the support to arrest the support in its uppermost and lowermost positions, a rocking member mounted independently of the support and movable to three different positions in one of which it locks the support in its uppermost position, means for normally moving the support upwardly, means for normally rocking said member to locking position, a pair of shift keys connected with the support for shifting the same downward, cam means controlled by one key for rocking said member to a position for arresting the support in its intermediate position, and cam means controlled by the other key for rocking' said member to a position permittingv movement of the support to its lowermost position.

20. in a typewriting` machine, the combinationof a frame, a pair of vertical guide posts in the iframe adjacent opposite sides thereof, a type-bar hanger support siidabiy heid to said posts, a transverse rock shaft journaied in the frame adjacent said posts, a pair of upstanding rock arms heid to said shait adjacent opposite ends of the support, means for limiting the extent of movement of the support on said posts, means for normally moving the support upward,

nss'nerie means on the support adjacent each end .thereof cooperating with the rock arms :for looking-the support in its uppermost positionand arresting` the support in a position intermediate the limits or' its movement, means ior normali;T swinging the rock arms to supportdocking` position, a shift key connected to move the support downward and position the rock arms to arrest the support in its intemediate position7 and a shirt hey connected to move the support downward to its iowermost position and more the rock arms to an inactive position.

This speciiication signed this 10th day of September, A. D. 1918.

FRANK HURBERT ARMSTRONG. 

